Chapter 39
Dance with Undershaft phase.3 is the 39th chapter of the manga and the third chapter of the Dance with Undershaft Arc. After meeting with Amalia Torohovsky in France, Koko Hekmatyar runs her squad through some training exercises where they learn that they will adopt a standard primary weapon and side arm. Hex then launches her operation to take out Jonah. Title page Koko Hekmatyar and Amalia Torohovsky meeting on a dock in Marseille, France. Summary Koko meets with Amalia in Marseille after having concluded a business deal with her. She is then warned by Amalia she has heard from her DGSE sources that a CIA agent has been investigating her. Koko realises that she is under DGSE scrutiny as Amalia recalls that she was previously the target of Bookman, who Koko quickly identifies as George Black. Amalia met him in Rome and learned that his objective is to use arms dealers as puppets, but thanks to the DGSE he had to back off. They then have a laugh at the idea of being used as puppets. While heading back, Lehm comments that she and Amalia seem to be getting along. When Koko replies that some people can be good at anything, Lehm counters that this could apply to her as well. However she thinks that all she is good at is selling weapons. At a training range, Tojo test fires the Magpul Masada, after which Koko informs the rest of the squad that going forward it will be their standard primary weapon, due to the use of a plastic magazine. She is met with no objections except for Jonah, who comments that she did not have to buy them new. Koko continues that the objective is to use the same ammunition and magazines throughout the squad. In response to Lutz's question as to whether this applies to side arms as well, Koko pulls out a SIG Sauer SP 2022, which will be the standard side arm. When R asks her to test fire it, Koko first three quick shots, putting two in a bullseye with the third just missing. She then declares that whoever scores worse than her will earn a punishment. The squad then goes through some drills under Lehm's supervision involving exiting from a moving Volkswagen Touareg. Tojo is tripped up by Lutz on one go through falling into the mud. When R comes back for some water, Koko asks him about George, who he reveals he met while stationed in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Koko reveals that she is researching him after having heard about him and just wants to see if he knows anything. R informs her that George likes to eat and that he thinks that the "Bookman" nickname refers not so much to George's actual background, but to his tenacity when pursuing an investigation. When R probes as to whether he was involved with hiring Dominique's crew, Koko does not think so, as a section chief would not employ such methods. She then asks if he knows about Hex, who R mistakes for being male. He then tells her that she does not need to reveal more about her past than she wants to as he has noticed that Hex is a sore subject for her. When he is called back to participate with the rest of the squad in shooting at moving targets, he vows to protect her. As Lehm instructs Jonah on the range, R wonders who Hex is. Back at the , Hex and ten companions personally execute 11 suspects. She then addresses the group, named Cutthroat, who are all ex-military or former PMC operators and are veterans of either Afghanistan or Iraq. After rallying them, Cutthroat fires their pistols in the air on command as Hex begins her operation. At CIA headquarters George is informed via satellite surveillance that they have set off. He then gets an email from R asking about Hex. While heading to the cafeteria, he gets further updates from two of his sources, Carabiner and Toon, learning that Jonah is the target of the operation and that Hex has made a landing request at Časlav air base in the Czech Republic. As George eats, Koko's Squad flies into Prague Ruzyně Airport and he receives an email from Spin that Hex has ordered 90,000 rounds of ammunition from a Czech vendor. Anime and manga differences *The episode does not mention where in France Koko and Amalia are meeting. *The sequence of Tojo shooting at the target is longer and he is not wearing a utility vest. The vests that the squad later puts on are a light khaki. *Lutz is heard but not shown asking about the plastic magazines. Koko is shown ejecting a Masada magazine and handing it to Jonah. *Koko holds up the SP 2022 differently. R is heard but not shown asking Koko to test fire it for them. *Lutz complains when Koko announces that anyone shooting worse than her will be punished. *The drill is longer and it involves quickly getting Koko into the Touareg when it pulls up. *The episode adds a scene of the spent cartridges from Cutthroat's celebratory fire falling. *The menu that George orders from is indistinct and the chef is not shown. Debut appearances *Carabiner (mentioned) *Cutthroat *Toon (mentioned) Category:Volume 7 39